The Scout explains why more assists will be awarded in Fantasy Premier League this season, meaning more points and more fun.
What is a Fantasy assist?
Fantasy assists are often awarded to the player from the goalscoring team who has the final touch before a goal is scored, and they are awarded three FPL points. The final touch can be a pass, an inadvertent touch, an effort on goal or winning a penalty or free-kick.
New rules for 2025/26 Fantasy
For the 2025/26 season, the definition of a Fantasy assist has been simplified to better recognise players for their contributions to goals, and to reduce the degree of subjectivity involved so that it’s easier for FPL managers to see when their player is getting an assist.
If these new 2025/26 rules had been in operation last season, there would have been 41 extra Fantasy assists awarded.
Intended destination
This is the most significant change to the rules.
Until now, players have NOT been awarded a Fantasy assist if their pass or cross was deflected by an opponent away from the intended target or destination.
So, when Bernardo Silva scored this goal below against Aston Villa last season, Omar Marmoush wasn’t given an assist, because it was adjudged that Bernardo wasn’t his intended target.
Watch Silva's goal against Villa
But that left Marmoush and his FPL owners with no reward for his big contribution to Man City’s goal.
So in 2025/26, the intended target or destination of a pass will no longer matter and a Fantasy assist WILL be awarded when the following two criteria are fulfilled:
- The goalscorer receives the ball inside the penalty box
- There is only one defensive touch before the ball reaches the goalscorer
There will be no Fantasy assist awarded if the defensive touch is a pass – for example a loose backpass - or if the goalscorer loses and then regains possession.
Here’s another example of an assist that would now be given this season.
Son Heung-min scored for Tottenham Hotspur last season after Pedro Porro’s cross was cleared into his path by Arsenal defender Gabriel.
NO Fantasy assist was awarded because Son was not the intended target of the cross.
But in 2025/26, Porro WOULD receive a Fantasy assist because, regardless of the intention of the cross, Son received the ball just INSIDE the penalty area, following a SINGLE touch off a defensive player which wasn’t a pass.
Watch Son's goal against Arsenal
What if the goalscorer receives the ball outside the box?
If the goalscorer receives the ball outside the box, the old rules remain in force – a judgment would be made about whether they were the intended target of the pass.
For example, Manuel Ugarte’s goal at Everton last season would NOT be awarded a Fantasy assist in 2025/26, because he received the ball outside the box and wasn’t the intended target of Bruno Fernandes’s free-kick.
Again, note that although Ugarte SCORED from inside the box, he RECEIVED the ball outside the box.
Watch Ugarte's goal against Everton
What if there are two defensive touches?
If a pass takes two or more defensive touches before reaching the goalscorer, there will be NO Fantasy assist.
For example, Matt Doherty’s goal for Wolverhampton Wanderers against Chelsea last season would not result in a Fantasy assist being awarded to Matheus Cunha in 2025/26.
This is because there are touches from both Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and team-mate Moises Caicedo before Doherty scores.
Watch Doherty's goal against Chelsea
Defensive errors
Until now, if a goal was scored thanks to an unforced defensive error, no Fantasy assist was awarded.
But in 2025/26, the only defensive error that will disqualify a Fantasy assist is if the defending player is attempting a pass. Again, there can only be a maximum of one defensive touch for the assist to be awarded.
As an example, last season when Antoine Semenyo scored for AFC Bournemouth against Fulham, Alex Scott did NOT get an assist because his pass reached Semenyo following an unforced defensive error from Antonee Robinson.
But this season, the assist WOULD be given, because Robinson’s defensive error wasn’t a pass and no longer matters – and it was the only one defensive touch.
Of course, because Semenyo received the ball outside the box, it is also important that he was the intended target of Scott’s pass.
Watch Semenyo's goal against Fulham
Forced handball
Players can earn a Fantasy assist if they win a penalty or free-kick by making the last attacking action or touch prior to a handball being awarded.
Until now the “forced handball” rule meant that, for a Fantasy assist to be awarded, the defending player had to be deemed to have been “forced” into the handball, for example by the quality of a cross.
But the “forced” element is no longer necessary for a Fantasy assist to be awarded.
In 2025/26, if an attacking action or touch directly leads to a handball by a defensive player, and the resulting penalty or free-kick is scored, a Fantasy assist will be awarded.
However, if the handball follows a touch from another defensive player, NO assist will be given.
Here's an example.
Following Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s long pass upfield last season, Toffees forward Beto pressurised Brighton & Hove Albion defender Joel Veltman, and Veltman handled the ball, resulting in a penalty.
As Veltman’s action was deemed to be an unforced handball, NO Fantasy assist was awarded.
But in 2025/26, Pickford WOULD receive a Fantasy assist, because the “forced” element is now unimportant. All that matters is that Pickford made an attacking action with his long pass that directly led to a handball by a defensive player in the penalty box.